Dependent - GCSE Maths Definition

In GCSE Maths, "dependent" is a term used when talking about two variables that are linked in some way, meaning that the value of one variable depends on or is affected by the other. For example, in a science experiment, if you measure how tall a plant grows every day when you give it a certain amount of water, the plant's height is a dependent variable because it changes depending on how much water the plant gets. In that example the amount of water would be the independent variable

In graphs the dependent variable usually occurs on the vertical axis, while the independent variable occurs on the horizontal axis.